DAME CHARTER MAKES A FRIEND
Captain Ichabod was in high feather. He whistled, he sang, and he kept
his men cleaning things. All that he could do for the comfort of his
passengers he did, even going so far as to drop as many of his "bedads"
as possible. Whenever he had an opportunity, and these came frequently,
he talked to Mr. Delaplaine, addressing a word or two to Kate if he
thought she looked gracious. For the first day or two Dame Charter kept
below. She was afraid of the men, and did not even want to look at them
if she could help it.
"But the good woman's all wrong," said Captain Ichabod to Mr.
Delaplaine; "my men would not hurt her. They're not the most tremendous
kind of pirates, anyway, for I could not afford that sort. I have often
thought that I could make more profitable voyages if I had a savager lot
of men. I'll tell you, sir, we once tried to board a big Spanish
galleon, and the beastly foreigners beat us off, bedad, and we had a
hard time of it gettin' away. There are three or four good fellows in
the crew, tough old rascals who came with the sloop when I bought her,
but most of my men are but poor knaves, and not to be afraid of."
This comfort Mr. Delaplaine kept to himself, and on the second day out,
the food which was served to them being most wretchedly cooked, Dame
Charter ventured into the galley to see if she could do anything in the
way of improvement.
"I think you may eat this," she said, when she returned to Kate, "but I
don't think that anything on board is fit for you. When I went to the
kitchen, I came near dropping dead right in the doorway; that cook,
Mistress Kate, is the most terrible creature of all the pirates that
ever were born. His eyes are blistering green and his beard is all
twisted into points, with the ends stuck fast with blood, which has
never been washed off. He roars like a lion, with shining teeth, but he
speaks very fair, Mistress Kate; you would be amazed to hear how fair he
speaks. He told me, and every word he said set my teeth on edge with its
grating, that he wanted to know how I liked the meals cooked; that he
would do it right if there were things on board to do it with. Which
there are not, Mistress Kate. And when he was beatin' up that batter for
me and I asked him if he was not tired workin' so hard, he pulled up
his sleeve and showed me his arm, which was like a horse's leg, all
covered with hair, and asked me if I thought it was likely he could tear
himself with a spoon. I'm sure he would give us better food if he could,
for he leaned over and whispered to me, like a gust of wind coming in
through the door, that the captain was in a very hard case, having
lately lost everything he had at the gaming-table, and therefore had not
the money to store the ship as he would have done."
"Oh, don't talk about that, Dame Charter," said Kate; "if we can get
enough to eat, no matter what it is, we must be satisfied and think only
of our great joy in sailing to my father and to your Dickory."
That afternoon Captain Ichabod found Kate by herself on deck, and he
made bold to sit down by her; and before he knew what he was about, he
was telling her his whole story. She listened carefully to what he said.
He touched but lightly upon his wickednesses, although they were plain
enough to any listener of sense, and bemoaned his fearful passion for
gaming, which was sure to bring him to misery one day or another.
"When I have staked my vessel and have lost it," said he, "then there
will be an end of me."
"But why don't you sell your vessel before you lose it," said Kate, "and
become a farmer?"
His eyes brightened. "I never thought of that," said he. "Bedad--excuse
me, Miss--some day when I've got a little together and can pay my men
I'll sell this sloop and buy a farm, bedad--I beg your pardon,
Miss--I'll buy a farm."
Kate smiled, but it was easy to see that Captain Ichabod was in earnest.
The next day Captain Ichabod came to Mr. Delaplaine and took him to one
side. "I want to speak to you," he said, "about a bit of business."
"You may have noticed, sir, that we are somewhat short of provisions,
and the way of it is this. The night before we sailed, hoping to make a
bold stroke at the card-table and thereby fit out my vessel in a manner
suitable to the entertainment of a gentleman and ladies, I lost every
penny I had. I did hope that our provisions would last us a few days
longer, but I am disappointed, sir. That cook of mine, who is a
soft-hearted fellow, his neck always ready for the heel of a woman, has
thrown overboard even the few stores we had left for you, the good Dame
Charter having told him they were not fit to eat. And more, sir, even my
men are grumbling. So I thought I would speak to you and explain that it
would be necessary for us to overhaul a merchantman and replenish our
food supply. It can be done very quietly, sir, and I don't think that
even the ladies need be disturbed."
Mr. Delaplaine stared in amazement. "Do you mean to say," he exclaimed,
"that you want me to consent to your committing piracy for our benefit?"
"Yes, sir," answered the captain, "that's what I suppose you would call
it; but that's my business."
"Now, sir, I wish you to know that I am a Christian and a gentleman,"
said Mr. Delaplaine.
"That's all very true, bedad," said Captain Ichabod, "but you're also
another thing; you're a human being, and you must eat."
"This is terrible," exclaimed the merchant, "that at my time of life I
should consent to a felony at sea, and to profit by it. I cannot bear to
think of the wickedness and the disgrace of it."
"Most respected sir," said Ichabod, "if the fellows behave themselves
properly and don't offer to fight us, then there'll be no wickedness,
bedad. I can make a good enough show of men to frighten any ordinary
merchant crew so that not a blow need be struck. And that is what I
expect to do, sir. I would not have any disturbance before ladies, you
may be sure of that, bedad. We bear down upon a vessel; we order her to
surrender; we take what we want, and we let her go. Truly, there's no
wickedness in that! And as for the disgrace, we can all better bear that
than starve."
Mr. Delaplaine looked at the pirate without a word. He could not
comprehend how a man with such a frank and honest face could thus avow
his dishonest principles. But as he gazed and wondered the thought of a
scheme flashed across the mind of the merchant, a thoroughly
business-like scheme. This bold young pirate captain might seize upon
such supplies as they were in need of, but he, Felix Delaplaine, of
Spanish Town, Jamaica, would pay for them. Thus might their necessities
be relieved and their consciences kept clean. But he said nothing of
this to Ichabod; the pirate might deem such a proceeding unprofessional
and interpose some objection. Payment would be the merchant's part of
the business, and he would attend to it himself. A look of resignation
now came over Mr. Delaplaine's face.
"Captain," said he, "I must yield to your reason; it is absolutely
necessary that we shall not starve."
Ichabod's face shone and he held out his hand. "Bedad, sir," he cried,
"I honour you as a bold gentleman and a kind one. I will instantly lay
my course somewhat to the eastward, and I promise you, sir, it will not
be long before we run across some of these merchant fellows. I beg you,
sir, speak to your ladies and tell them that there will be no unpleasant
commotion; we may draw our swords and make a fierce show, but, bedad, I
don't believe there'll be any fighting. We shall want so little--for I
would not attempt to take a regular prize with ladies on board--that
the fellows will surely deliver what we demand, the quicker to make an
end of it."
"If you are perfectly sure," said Mr. Delaplaine, "that you can restrain
your men from violence, I would like to be a member of your boarding
party; it would be a rare experience for me."
Now Captain Ichabod fairly shouted with delight.
"Bravo! Bravo!" he exclaimed; "I didn't dream, sir, that you were a man
of such a noble spirit. You shall go with us, sir. Your presence will
aid greatly in making our hoped-for capture a most orderly affair; no
one can look upon you, bedad, without knowing that you are a high-minded
and honourable man, and would not take a box or case from any one if you
did not need it. Now, sir, we shall put about, and by good fortune we
may soon sight a merchantman. Even if it be but a coastwise trader, it
may serve our purpose."
Mr. Delaplaine, with something of a smile upon his sedate face, hurried
to Kate, who was upon the quarter-deck.
"My dear, we are about to introduce a little variety into our dull
lives. As soon as we can overhaul a merchantman we shall commit a
piracy. But don't turn pale; I have arranged it all."
"You!" exclaimed the wide-eyed Kate.
"Yes," said her uncle, and he told his tale.
"And remember this, my dear," he added; "if we cannot pay, we do not
eat. I shall be as relentless as the bloody Blackbeard; if they take not
my money, I shall swear to Ichabod that we touch not their goods."
"And are you sure," she said, "that there will be no bloodshed?"
"I vouch for that," said he, "for I shall lead the boarding party."
She took him by both hands. "Why," she said, "it need be no more than
laying in goods from a store-house; and I cannot but be glad, dear
uncle, for I am so very, very hungry."
Now Dame Charter came running and puffing. "Do you know," she cried,
"that there is to be a piracy? The word has just been passed and the
cook told me. There is to be no bloodshed, and the other ship will not
be burned and the people will not be made to walk a plank. The captain
has given those orders, and he is very firm, swearing, I am told, much
more than is his wont. It is dreadful, it is awful just to think about,
but the provisions are gone, and it is absolutely necessary to do
something, and it will really be very exciting. The cook tells me he
will put me in a good place where I cannot be hurt and where I shall see
everything. And, Mistress Kate and Master Delaplaine, I dare say he can
take care of you too."
Kate looked at her uncle as if to ask if she might tell the good woman
what sort of a piracy this was to be, but he shook his head. It would
not do to interfere any more than was necessary with the regular
progress of events. The captain came up, excited. "Even now, bedad," he
cried, "there are two sails in sight--one far north, and the other to
the eastward, beating up this way. This one we shall make for. We have
the wind with us, which is a good thing, for the Restless is a bad
sailer and has lost many a prize through that fault. And now, Miss," he
said, addressing Kate, "I shall have to ask your leave to take down that
English flag and run up our Jolly Roger. It will be necessary, for if
the fellows fear not our long guns, they may change their course and get
away from us."
"That will be right," said Kate; "if we're going to be pirates, we might
as well be pirates out and out."
Captain Ichabod glowed with delight. "What a girl this was, and what an
uncle!"
It was not long, for the Restless had a fair wind, before the sail to
the eastward came fully into sight. She was, in good truth, a
merchantman, and not a large one. Dame Charter, very much excited,
wondered what she would have on board.
"The cook tells me," said she to Kate, "that sometimes ships from the
other side of the ocean carry the most astonishing and beautiful
things."
"But we shall not see these things," said Kate, "even if that ship
carries them. We shall take but food, and shall not unnecessarily
despoil them of that. We may be pirates, but we shall not be wicked."
"It is hard to see the difference," said Dame Charter, with a sigh, "but
we must eat. The cook tells me that they have made peaceful prizes
before now. This they do when they want some particular thing, such as
food or money, and care not for the trouble of stripping the ship,
putting all on board to death, and then setting her on fire. The cook
never does any boarding himself, so he says, but he stands on the deck
here, armed with his great axe, which likes him better than a cutlass,
and no matter what happens, he defends his kitchen."
"From his looks," said Kate, "I should imagine him to be the fiercest
fighter among them all."
"But that is not so," said Dame Charter; "he tells me that he is of a
very peaceable mind and would never engage in any broils or fights if he
could help it. Look! look!" she cried, "they're running out their long
brass guns; and do you see that other ship, how her sails are fluttering
in the wind? And there, that little spot at the top of her mast; that's
her flag, and it is coming down! Down, down it comes, and I must run to
the cook and ask him what will happen next."